In The Twilight After Halloween
by Supersaiyangirl
Summary: Even not getting his costume from Ethan's saves Xander from the chaos of Halloween or the changes that will affect his life forever. The strength and speed are cool, the thirst and eyes not so cool.
1. Chapter 1

In The Twilight After Halloween

**

* * *

I don't own any of it, it's just for fun so don't get to worked up over it.  
**

**Ok I confess I've been reading alot of Halloween fics resently and I thought of this and had to write it.**

** It's a little different to anything I've read so far.**

**There is also a bit of a crossover here, but not enough to place it in both fandoms. **

**Hope you enjoy.  
**

* * *

Chapter 1

Xander grumbled as he stomped down the stairs to the basement. It had recently become his sanctuary from his drunken parents ever since he'd discovered they wouldn't follow him as they couldn't manage the steep stairs down when they were drunk, which was most of the time now. He'd come down straight after he'd got back from school as he wasn't in the mood to deal with his so called parents at the moment.

He was annoyed bordering on pissed at the troll that called himself a Principle. Where did he get off volunteering them to escort kids on Halloween. Wasn't the whole point of volunteering that it was voluntary? Now he was stuck escorting kids Trick-or-Treating and he couldn't even get any candy for himself, as he wasn't mean enough to deprive kids from the sweet stuff. That wasn't even the worse part, oh no, the worse part was that he'd have to spend some of his near non-existent allowance to buy a costume, so he wouldn't even be able to buy any candy later either! He was doomed to an existence without junk food for the foreseeable future.

Was that being over dramatic? The junk food junkie that was Alexander Harris didn't think so. He lashed out at the nearest object. His foot hit the side solid oak chest, and he spent the next minute clutching at his foot in pain and cursing. It was only after he'd calmed down that he noticed that the latch of the chest had come lose and the lid was slightly open. With a curiosity that can be dangerous on a Hellmouth, he opened the lid all the way.

There on the top of the chest lay, in a protective plastic bag, a black suit, complete with a white shirt and black tie. It had clearly been his father wedding suit. Xander stared at it for a moment wondering how it had survived not being pawned off for alcohol. Then a thought occurred to him, and he smiled. He'd need a pair of sunglasses, which he had in his room to make it work but work it would. He sent out a silent thank you the god of junk food who'd heard his pain.

The phone rang, Xander closed the lid and raced upstairs knowing his parents wouldn't be in a state to talk to whoever it was at the moment. He picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" He said.

"Xander." Willow said.

"Willow!" He said with a smile.

"Me and Buffy are going into town tomorrow, to get our costumes. There's this new place, Ethan's or something, that looks good, and cheap, because of... well... you know your... er position and all, and we thought that well.."

"Will. It's alright I got a costume." Xander said.

"You do?" Willow said existed. "What is it?"

"A surprise."

"But.."

"Will. Don't worry you'll see it tomorrow night anyway." He said.

"Oh ok." She said. "Bye then." She said.

"Yeah." Xander said.

Halloween

Xander straightened his tie and knocked on Buffy's door. It was answered by Buffys mother.

"Hello, Mrs Summers, I'm agent X defender of Earth from illegal aliens of the ET sort. Is Miss Summ...." Xander trailed off as he noticed Buffy coming down the stairs in full 17th century clothing and a brown wig. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. The Summers women exchanged looks and giggled at his reaction, this jerked him out of his revere.

"Wow Buffy, more is most deftly more!" He said finally. Buffy smiled.

"Thanks. Do you think Angel'll like it?" She asked. Frowning at the mention of deadboy Xander nodded.

"He'd be more of an idiot if he didn't." He said. Seeing Buffy frown he hastily added. "So where's the ghostly form of the Willow?" He asked. Safely distracted Buffy smiled a secret smile.

"Things are a bit different. May I posent...."

"Boo!" Willow said when she jumped out from round the corner at the top of the stairs in fall ghost costume.

"Willow." Buffy said deflated and disappointed.

"That's a might fine boo you've got there." Xander said.

"Thanks." Willow said as she walked down the stairs.

"But Willow." Buffy said. "Your not meant to be a ghost!"

"You can't beat the classics, Buff." Xander said.

"Says the Blues Brother." Buffy said. Xander took on a hurt look.

"I have you know I'm a Man in Black."

"And what does a Man in Black do?" Buffy asked.

"We save the world from the nasty ETs, but most we look cool."

Later in front of the High school.

Xander looked at the kids he was going to be taking Trick-or-Treating and notice one was looking upset and depressed that was so not right for Trick-or-Treating. Xander crouched down in front of him and saw he was wearing wikid looking red contacts.

"Hey, what you meant to be?" He asked the kid.

"I'm meant to be a vampire, but mum couldn't get the teeth to fit." The kid said sadly.

"Well, I think the red eyes make you look scarily demonic." Xander told him.

"Really?" Xander nodded.

"Really." The kid smiled.

"Thanks mister." He said.

Later

Xander didn't know what happened, one minute the kids he was watching over were doing normal kid things, the next things turned very Hellmouthy. Suddenly the plastic masks didn't look at all plasticy and very real, and he didn't want to find how real the teeth were anytime soon. This was defiantly and thing for Buffy to deal with or maybe Giles. But most defiantly not him. Xander took a slow step backwards away from the group of mini-demons. Unfortunly that just drew attention to himself.

"Shit." He said when the mini-demons looked at him. He raised his hands in placating manner. "Easy there, mini-demon, ex-kiddies. Nothing of interest here, I'll just be going." He said turning to run away to find Buffy. He barely got two steps before something stopped him and he felt a sharp pain in his wrist. He looked down to see one of the kids attached to his wrist. He could feel something very important to his continued existence being drawn from him. The kid was drinking his blood! Xander tried to pull away, but the kid tightened his grip, and Xander heard and felt the bones in his arm snap. The agony of broken bones shot up his arm and covered the slight burning that had been there before.

Suddenly a brown blur knocked into the kid that was drinking Xander's arm and wrenched him from Xander, who landed heavily onto his back. There was a lot of snapping and snarling, but the kid didn't come back. Xander lay on his back the pain from his arm and the loss of blood making him very unwilling to move.

"Xander!" Xander looked to see Willow running towards him a very short skirt and small top. _I must dying to see something that good_. Xander thought. "Oh my God, Xander, your bleeding!" Willow almost screamed. That snapped Xander back to reality.

"I'm ok Will, just broke my arm." He said pushing himself up to sitting position with his good arm. It was then that the burning feeling he'd felt before his arm had been broken came back, and spread to encompass his entire body. "Oh....God....it...burns!" He said, his arm that was holding him upright gave out and he fell back down. But he barely felt the impact with the ground as the burning rapidly took away any other feelings and even his vision.

"Xander!" He heard Willow frantically yelling, but it was like she was behind think glass. He could hear someone screaming, but the burning was to great for him to realise the person screaming was himself.

* * *

**Please review!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

In The Twilight After Halloween

* * *

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated anything but my computer died on me and I lost everything!**

**Hope this is worth the wait.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Willow paced besides her best friend as he lay there screaming. It was the gut wrenching scream of someone in pure undiluted pain. His unseeing eyes staring as he thrashed against an unseen enemy.

"Oh god, Oh god." Willow chanted as she continued to pace. Her best friend was in pain and there was nothing she could do about it, while she was in this ghostly form. At least with all the screaming all the transformed kids were keeping there distance.

"Willow?" A familiar voice came from behind her. She turned to see Angel. "We have to go, something strange is going on, people have...." Angel stopped when Xander screamed again. "Is that Xander?" Willow was still in shock so couldn't say anything, so she just nodded.

"What happened to him?" He asked. Willow finally snapped out of the shock at the question.

"I don't know!" Willow said, "He was fine when I found him. Well he'd broken his arm, but nothing too bad. Then he just fell and just started screaming. We have to do something!" She said descending into Willow-babble before stuttering into silence. Angel having no experience dealing with this, crouched next to Xander and his eyes were drawn to the blood on Xander's cuff. He pulled back Xander's sleeve to reveal a bite mark but it wasn't vampiric. Angel frowned that didn't make any sense.

"He's been bitten." Angel said.

"What?" Willow said, she hadn't seen that earlier. "By what?"

"I don't know." Angel said, and winced when Xander screamed once again.

"Can you help him?" She asked in desperation. Angel looked up at her, the worry and fear was clear on her face. Angel didn't answer her, he just looked back at Xander. He pulled back an arm and let lose a controlled punch to his head, just enough to knock the boy out.

"What did you do that for?" Willow demanded, the fear and worry replaced by anger. "You better talk mister."

"I can't stop what's happening to him but I can stop him feeling it." Angel said. It was true, Xander had stopped screaming, but he was still jerking, so whatever was happening to him was still happening. "We need to get him somewhere safe." Angel said looking round at all the lose demons that were running around. By now Willow had recovered her composer.

"Right, safe." She said. "We could go to Buffy's, it's near here." Her face suddenly showed horror. "Oh my god, Buffy! She dressed as an eightieth century lady and if.... We have to find her." she said emphatically.

"Alright, you take Xander to Buffy's and I'll find Buffy." Angel said. Willow looked embarrassed for a moment.

"I can't." She said.

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Well I went as a ghost, and now I am a ghost, I can't touch anything!" Willow said. Angel stared at Willow for a moment, taking in her outfit, and Willow blushed slightly.

"Alright I'll take Xander." Angel said picking Xander up bridle style. "Now let's find Buffy's."

"I'll get Giles, we're going to need help on this." She said, running off in the direction of the school.

Later

(Just imagine that everything happened like the episode, with Angel taking Xander's place and no Spike. I just can't be bothered to write that all out. ;) )

When Giles smashed the bust the spell was lifted all over Sunnydale. Buffy reached up and pulled the brown wig off, from her place on the sofa.

"We'll that was a whole lot of fun." She said.

"You're back!" Cordelia said trying to hide her relief. "I suppose that means the freakiness is over."

"I guess." Buffy said. "What about Xander!" She moved over to the side of the over sofa that Xander had been placed on. He was still unconscious and jerking randomly.

"He's still the same." Cordelia pointed out. "Shouldn't he be fine now, I mean you are."

"I'm guessing that what happened to him isn't the same as what made me into Miss Pathetic." Buffy said, staring at her hurting friend as she gripped his hand. "We so need Giles for this."

* * *

It had been three days since Halloween and Xander's condition hadn't changed. They had moved him to Giles's bedroom as it was the most private, they didn't want anyone to notice when Xander woke up screaming, something that had happened four times since Halloween. Each time he'd been knocked out again as it was the only thing they could do for him. Angel stayed with him to keep an eye on him while the others had to go to school.

Tonight the gang, Buffy, Angel, Willow and Giles were researching what was happening to Xander, they were not getting anywhere.

"Ah," Giles said, while looking at a book, the other looked up at him. "The Ka'bla demon, it's venom causes extreme pain and convulsions." He read a little more, and took his glasses off. "Average time till death, twelve minutes, maybe not then." He said putting his glasses back on to read more.

"If Xander were here he'd be making Klingon joke right now." Willow said morosely. Buffy reached over and gave Willow's hand a squeeze.

"He'll be alright Will." Buffy said and looked at Giles. "Won't he?"

"Huh." Giles said distracted.

"I said he'll be alright." Buffy repeated with pleading in her eyes. Giles nodded.

"Yes, of course, we just have to find the right demon." Giles said. Buffy smiled reassuringly at her friend.

"See, it'll be alright." Willow nodded and went back to her books.

Angel suddenly looked up from his place by the stairs. He'd been listening to Xander heart for the last twenty minutes, it had been beating so hard and fast that Angel had heard even from down stairs. Now it was beating so fast that it was unnatural. He was about to say something to the others when he froze again as everything went very, very quiet. Xander heart had just stopped. Not wanting to scare anyone until he was sure he was wrong in his suspicions that something very wrong was happening to Xander, he quietly slipped up the stairs without anyone noticing.

* * *

**I know this is short but I wanted to get something out as soon as possible. **

**I have the next chapter hand written and as soon as I write it up it'll be posted, shouldn't be to long till then. :)**

**As always, please review!**

**Till later SSG**

**P.S: If anyone is waiting for Harry Addams, it'll be awhile as I lost everything, but I will get it written, just bare with me please.**


	3. Chapter 3

In The Twilight Of Halloween

Chapter 3

The demonic energies that radiated from the Hellmouth was in no way sentient, but it always found ways to affect anything that was happening nearby. So it was drawn when suddenly there was a body was in a state of flux, going though a violent change. However as the venom that was attacking and changing said body was not of a demonic nature there was little the energy could effect. So it went to the only thing it could affect, the mind. Neatly, it severed the connection between morality and emotions, just before the bodies heart stopped and the change was complete. The energies retreated and moved on to new targets.

The first thing Xander noticed when he returned to consciousness was that he was cold. Not the shivering 'it's cold outside' sort of cold but the deep boned cold that had no place among the living. He opened his eyes. Everything was so clear and way too bright. He moved to cover his eyes with a hand. But froze when he caught sight of his hand, an action that was inhuman in it's effectiveness, but of course Xander didn't notice this as he was too busy staring at his hand. Being a born and bred Californian, he'd always sported a halfway descent tan, but now that was gone. His skin was pale, more pale than Deadboy's and that was wrong on too many levels. Not to mention that his skin was now smooth and perfect like it had been plastered over or something. Curios Xander pulled up his left sleeve to reveal his arm. Where there should have been a scar, the remnant of an encounter on the wrong side of his Uncle Rory and a beer bottle, there was just smooth way too pale skin. He ran his fingers lightly over the smooth skin to assure himself that what he was seeing was real, it was.

Trying to ignore the current freakiness of his skin, Xander sat and looked round, he didn't recognise the room he was in. But at least he was still wearing the suit he had, last night? He wasn't too sure as it appeared to be night-time outside, if the window across from him was anything to go by. He tried to remember what happened before he'd passed out. But all he could remember was burning then pain, a lot of pain. Xander looked at the curtains and suddenly he was really seeing them, to the point that he could see the threads, he blinked in surprise and his focus was back to normal. _Okay this it really starting to freak me out_, he thought.

He suddenly felt the need to see himself in a mirror, he looked round and saw one against another wall. He took a deep breath, not noticing that it was the first breath he'd taken sense he'd woken. He suddenly gripped his throat as pain ripped though it. It felt like he'd swallowed barbed-wire covered in stinging nettles and coated in wasabi sauce. Too say it hurt was an understatement, and now he's noticed it the pain he became aware of something in the back of his mind telling him to find something to quench the thirst, but what he had no idea, and how he knew it was a liquid that he needed again had no idea. The more he thought about it the stronger the urge got until he could think of little else, and now a liquid was filling his mouth, it wasn't saliva, as saliva didn't taste bitter.

Xander closed his eyes and forced himself to not think about the pain and suppress the urge as best he could, although now he was aware of it the urge refused to go away completely. He swallowed the last of the liquid in his mouth and opened his eyes again, he felt a little more in control. Xander made his way to the mirror. He looked at the image in the mirror unblinking far sometime. _At least I have a reflection_, was he first thought. The person reflected couldn't be him, it just couldn't. Sure it looked like Xander Harris, if Xander Harris had been sculpted by Michelangelo. His features had been stylised and the pale perfect skin made him look like a marble statue. But it was something else in his reflection that made his mind freeze. He closed his eyes against the image. _It's alright, I'll count to five and when I open them again everything will be fine._ He thought. _One... two... three... four... five._ Xander opened his eyes again and nothing had changed. His eyes were still staring back at him, not there normal brown but a deep blood red.

"Oh hell." He whispered. "This can't get any worse." Noting that his voice was now lighter and almost musical.

"Xander?" Angel said from behind him.

"I stand corrected." Xander said. "What do you want, Fangboy." He said turning to face Angel. Who looked edgy, like he was fighting his fight-or-flight reflex. He looked away when he met Xander's gaze. Xander couldn't stop the smirk at the thought of getting to Angel, it almost made him forget about what was going on for a moment.

"I just wanted to see how you were." Angel said, still not meeting his gaze, not that Xander could blame him, those eyes were just weird. He's going to be avoiding mirrors for quite some time.

"How I am?" Xander asked, he couldn't stop the nervous giggle from escaping his throat. "I'm just peachy. My senses have gone nuts, I'm more pale then you, my throat feels like it's being attacked by a rusty chainsaw, and my eyes are fucking red! Yep just great." While he'd been speaking his voice had gotten louder until he was yelling and almost too fast for human ears.

Unfortunately the other had heard him and were coming up the stairs. Xander stiffened as drumming filled his ears, his brain picked out that it came from three separate sources, which were all heading his way, but that was as far as he got before several thing happened at once. The pain in his throat flared, the liquid from before filled his mouth again and urge came back so strongly that it shoved his reasoning mind to one side. Xander dropped into a very predatory stance as his face contorted into a snarl. Angel saw his eyes dark to almost pitch black as a growl escaped his throat and the door handle started to turn.

* * *

**Damn these chapters are getting shorter! **

**Oh well, hope you enjoyed!**

**Thanks for all the reviews! :)  
**

**Please review again.**


	4. Chapter 4

In The Twilight After Halloween

Chapter 4

When Angel had entered the room with Xander, he'd been surprised to find the boy standing in front of the mirror staring at his reflection. There was something wrong with the boy, his heart wasn't beating anymore, but he didn't smell like a vampire, in fact Angel could sense that he still had a soul as well. But he wasn't human but nor was he demonic. He was something else, but Angel didn't know what. When Xander had turned and Angel had seen the red eyes, his inner-demon started to scream at him that this was a predator more dangerous then anything that he'd ever met before and that if he wanted to continue to exist he should get as far from it as he could. Which was ridiculous as this was Xander, sure he looked and smelt different but that doesn't make him dangerous. Angel pushed his inner-demon away, and ignored it. Then Xander had started to rant, he got louder and faster in his speech until Angel could barely keep up.

Then everything changed. Up until that point, while Xander had looked different, he'd still acted like his old self. Then he'd stiffened, and his head had snapped towards the door. What happened next would have made Angel's blood run cold, if he'd been human. Xander dropped into a predatory stance and his face twisted into a look, that Angel would never wanted to see on any of the scoobies; bloodlust. Not just any bloodlust but a complete feral bloodlust. Angel looked at him, there was no hint that Xander was in anyway in control, he would attack the first person he saw. And right now his attention was fully on the door and whoever was going to come though. Angel had to do something fast to stop this from getting out of hand. Quickly he got between Xander and the door.

"Get back!" He yelled though the door.

"Angel?" Buffy's voice came though the door. "What going on?" Xander eyes fixed on Angel, and seemed to be assessing the person that was between him and his prey. Xander growled, obviously deciding that Angel wasn't prey but a rival.

"What was that?" Willow asked. Angel didn't have time to reply as Xander looked ready to pounce, he growled at Angel. Angel growled back, trying to make him back down, it didn't work. He decided it would be best to end this quickly and went for a knockout punch to Xander's face. The cursed vampire was shocked when Xander grabbed his wrist, and using Angel's own momentum sent him crashing into the mirror behind him. Angel shook himself and put on his game face, he growled again and rushed Xander tackling him. Xander didn't fall, but stumbled back, before he tripped over Giles's weapon chest and crashed backwards though the window. Angel managed to stop himself from following and watched as Xander got up from the first floor fall as if nothing had happened. Xander glared up at Angel for a moment, before his head snapped his left, he seemed to scent the air, then he disappeared. The entire confrontation lasted less then a minute.

Angel turned as the door crashed open to reveal, Buffy, Giles and Willow.

"Good lord!" Giles said as he took in the destruction of his bedroom.

"What happened here?" Buffy asked

"Where's Xander." Willow asked. All at the same time.

"It was Xander and he's gone." Angel said.

"What do you mean gone!" Willow exclaimed.

"Perhaps, you should tell us what happened." Giles said calmly.

"Yeah." Buffy said. As they all left to go back to the sitting room. Giles cleared his throat.

"And, Angel, we're going to have a little talk about repair costs later." Giles said. Angel winced.

* * *

"So Xander's a demon." Buffy said, after Angel had explained what had happened. Willow had descended into tears when Angel told them about Xander sudden change.

"No," Angel said. "I mean I don't know, he didn't smell like a demon, and I'm sure I felt a soul in him."

"But he attacked you!" Buffy said.

"He was fine until you came up stairs." Angel told her. "It was as if your present triggered him going feral on us."

"And because your dead, it didn't trigger it?" Giles speculated, looking up from the book he'd been reading. Angel nodded. "You said he was pale and had red eyes?"

"Yes, but he wasn't just pale there was no colour to his skin, and when I tackled him it felt like I was hitting a truck." Angel said. Giles frowned and returned to reading the book, trying desperately to find out what had happened to boy he'd started to see as a son.

"Where do you think he is now?" Buffy asked.

"By the looks of it, he went hunting." Angel said, wincing as he said it. Willow looked up at that.

"Xander wouldn't do that!" She said. "He wouldn't, he couldn't!" she said before braking down again. Buffy held her closer, trying to offer any comfort that she could, and gave Angel a light glare at upsetting her further.

"I don't think Xander has any control, at the moment." Angel said trying and failing to find anything comforting to say, it just wasn't within his expertise.

"It's alright, Wills, we'll find him, I promise." Buffy said.

* * *

Somewhere else in Sunnydale Xander came back to his senses. He looked round, he was in one of the cemeteries, how had he got here. The last thing he remembered with any certainty was talking to deadboy then that sound and pain in his throat. Talking of which the pain was greatly reduced, but still there. He frowned he could remember little flashes, fighting with deadboy, running finding and stalking his prey. The sheer ecstasy of the blood flowing down his throat. Wait blood! In fear Xander wiped his mouth, his hand came back with blood on it, more scared Xander looked down at himself and saw that the front of his suit was covered in blood. Xander stumbled back in shock and fell over something. He landed heavily but there was no pain from the landing. Feeling like he was stuck in an old horror film, he looked down at what he'd tripped over and backed up in horror until his back hit a tree, it was a body. A dead body, with it's neck ripped out and all the blood drained. It had been a women, in here early twenties, her face was now twisted into a permanent mask of pain, testament to her last moments of like.

Xander continued to stare at the body in horror and disbelief, most would say that it was because he could believe that he'd killed someone and he couldn't process the guilt that came from that. But they would be far from right. Xander was horrified as he looked at the body which he had killed moments before not because of fear, guilt, of self-hatred. But because he was feeling any of those feeling at all, and that scared him. He knew that it was wrong to kill, he knew he should feel all those emotions, but he just didn't. However as he stared at the dead body and the blood that covered the neck, he did feel something. The thrill of the blood filling him quenching his thirst and the desire for more.

* * *

**Right next chapter done! :)**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

In the Twilight after Halloween

* * *

**First off thanks for all the great reviews!**

**_Angieqt2005:_ Thanks! Yeah I hate it when writers do that. I don't like the whole vegetarian vampire thing, and I wanted Xander not to go down that route. Plus I don't think this would happen without the Hellmouth affecting it in some way, and as the venom isn't demonic that seemed the best way to do it.:)**

**_Stonegnome1:_ Ahh, well I was thinking that when the spell was broken, it would only brake those it affected in the first place and as Xander wasn't part of the spell to start with it didnt affect him when it broke. Plus as the venom had already started to change him when the spell was broken, it was then part of Xander meaning the spell couldn't affect it, as it couldn't affect Xander. Er does that make sense to anyone else or is it just me. Anyway it makes more sense, to me, then it just not leaving Xander like it did everyone else that some other writers use. Thanks for the review, I like it when people make me think about my ideas more thoroughly.**

**_LostGryffindorFoundSlytherin:_ I'm thinking they don't exist in the BtVs world. But Giles needs to do something and research is the only thing he could do at the time. Thanks for the review.  
**

*Xander's ability***  
**

* * *

Chapter 5

When Xander finally snapped out of the shock of what he'd just done and how he'd felt about it, or rather the way he didn't feel about it, he ran. After a few minutes he stopped and blinked in confusion, he was in the warehouse district of town, but that was halfway across town how the hell had he got here in a few minutes. which is impossible. But considering everything else that had happened since he'd woken up, it wasn't that big a shock really. He started walking again, he just had to get somewhere away. Considering that every time he thought about going back to Giles's the burning in his throat flared painfully, he didn't think it would be a good idea until he figured this out.

He was just about to open the door of the nearest warehouse, when a scream ripped though the night. Xander looked in the direction of the scream, just in time to be assaulted by the most enticing smell. He recognised it as the smell he smelt at Giles's, just before he'd lost control and attacked deadboy. Once again he felt everything else, the burning, the strange liquid filling his mouth and the strong instinct telling him to find his prey. Before he realised it, he was following the scent. He tried to stop himself, he'd already figured out that if he found the source of the scent someone would die, and despite the lack of guilt for the last time, he didn't want to kill anyone. When he turned the corner, he saw it, five figures at the far end of the alley, only four of them weren't human. Four men were surrounding the last, who was cowering against the wall. That was the only one that had a heartbeat, and it was the heartbeat the destroyed the last of Xander's resistance to his new instincts. Instantly Xander found his teeth buried deep within the neck of his prey, and blood was pouring down his throat smoothing the burning there. With a deep feeling of satisfaction Xander gulped down all the blood that was available. All too soon, in Xander's opinion, the blood stopped coming. With a growl Xander dropped the now empty body and savoured the moment without any burning, but it didn't last very long. He looked down to see the body, of the second person he'd killed tonight, and again didn't feel anything. Emotionally speaking he might have well have just eaten a Twinkie. (sp?)

"Hey, asshole!" A voice said from behind him. Xander turned to find four very pissed off vampires. "That was our dinner, you just ate." Xander tried a smile, but knew that it came out as a grimace. As even though he didn't feel any guilt over killing them, he still knew it was wrong on a intellectual level and he really didn't want to do it, at the same time knowing that he would.

"Couldn't stop myself." Xander said honestly.

"Guess we'll just teach you a lesson. Huh boys?" The same vampire as before said.

"Sure thing, Marion." Another one said. Marion turned his head a growled at the other vampire.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Sorry boss." Xander for his part blinked and looked at the very male vampire called Marion. He couldn't help himself, he broke into laughter.

"Don't laugh at me!" The vampire said.

"Sure." Xander said, not stopping in his laughter. "Is Robin Hood coming to save you?" And roared in laughter, this was just to good, and after the shocks to this night he'd really needed to laugh about. By this point the vampire was almost pouting.

"I don't need anyone to save me!" He vampire screeched. "I was sired by Angelus himself!" Xander stopped laughing when a voice he didn't recognise boomed in his head. *No, he wasn't.* Unsure what to make of that, he mentally shrugged and went with it.

"No you weren't." Xander said. The vampire looked as if he was going to pop.

"Yes I was!" He said. *Nope.* "And I'm over a hundred and I've killed a Slayer!" *He's less then ten and has never even seen a Slayer.* Xander closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head against the voice.

"Oh, fuck it, let's just kill him" Marion said, and rushed Xander. Taken by surprise Xander just raised a hand, and was shocked when he felt it enter the vampires chest. Xander stared at the comically bugged eyes Marion. Acting on impulse Xander closed his hand on vampire's heart, which was in his palm and pulled his hand out. He stared at the heart which was sitting in his hand for a moment before it, and the vampire in front of him turned to dust. The remaining vampires looked at each other and rushed him as one. Xander dodged the attacks with more speed and agility than he ever thought possible even for a Slayer. Seeing an opening Xander struck hitting one of the vampires in the face, ripping it's head from it's shoulders in the process.

"What the hell?" Xander said as the vampire turned to dust. Another vampire tried to attack him as he stood there stunned. But Xander caught his arm like he'd been moving in slow motion, this was way to easy. Then Xander jerked the vampire violently to the right, sending him crashing into some dustbins ten feet away. That would have been fine, if Xander had let go. Xander dropped the now severed arm as if it had burnt him. It was that moment that the last vampire chose to do the only sensible thing, and ran for his unlife.

The vampire that Xander had relived of an arm, was staring and where his arm had been and then Xander, and his blood red eyes.

"What are you!" He asked. Xander bent and picked up a piece of broken crate.

"I don't know." Xander said and throw the wood and it hit the vampire dead in it's heart. Xander turned and ran up the nearest fire escape and was on the roof before the dust settled. He sat on the roof and waited for the dawn.

* * *

Giles had come into work early so he could look though some of the demonology books that he only had at the library. There hadn't been any mention of a demon that matched Angel's description in any of his books. It was hard to believe that the rather goofy young boy could have become something as dangerous as Angel had described. He'd just made himself a cup of tea, and was just about to start on one of his oldest books when the phone rang. Cursing as he almost got hot tea down his front Giles made his way to the phone. Who on earth would be ringing at this time in the morning?

"Hello, Mr Giles speaking." Giles said as he brought up the receiver.

"Hi, G-Man." The person on the other side said. Giles didn't recognise the musical voice, but there was only one person that called him that infernal nickname.

"Good lord, Xander?" There was a short chuckle from the other side of the line.

"Yeah, the one and only." Xander said.

"We have been worried." Giles said. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"Wow, G-Man, have you been taking lessons from Willow?"

"Well. I...." Giles said flustered.

"Never mind," Xander said with a hint of amusement. "I'm not alright on an epic scale but I'm dealing."

"Come back we can help." Giles said. There was silence on the line, for so long Giles thought maybe Xander had left.

"I can't come back." Xander said, his voice was filled with pain. "It's safe where I am." Giles frowned.

"Safe from whom?" He inquired.

"You don't get it." Xander said. "People are safe from _me_, where I am."

"I don't understand." Giles admitted. There was another silence, but not as long this time.

"If I go near anyone with a heartbeat I will kill them, I can't stop myself."

"Dear lord, Xander I..." Giles trailed off, there wasn't much you say to that.

"I killed two people last night." Xander said, Giles paled at that. "Drained them of blood, like I'm a vampire but I'm not, well sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm dead, no heartbeat, not breathing sort of dead." Giles took off his glasses and pinched he bridge of his nose as he couldn't clean them one handed.

"I'm sure we can work something out." There was a snort from Xander.

"I waited for the sun this morning." Xander said.

"I presume, that as we're talking, it didn't go as planned." There was another snort this time of amusement.

"I sparkled." He said.

"Excuse me?"

"When the sun hit my skin, no burning, no imitation of the human touch. Just an imitation of the human diamond." Giles pinched his nose again, after he'd translated the American teenagernese in his head, he'd never heard of anything like that before.

"Even so, I sure we could..."

"I'm leaving." Xander interrupted, and continued quickly so Giles couldn't interrupt him. "I'm not safe to be around, until I get a grip on this thirst. I'll come back when I have." The boy was hiding something Giles could tell, but it wasn't likely that he could get him to talk if he didn't want to. Over the time he'd known him, Xander had made quite the impression on Giles. The boy covered it up rather well, but Giles could see under all the goofiness and irritating humour, Xander had a strong intelligence and an even stronger heart. He would have made a very good Watcher one day, if this hadn't happened.

"Is there anything I could say to change your mind?" Giles asked.

"There isn't." Xander said. "Thanks for understanding."

"I don't really. But I know you wouldn't do this if there wasn't any other choice." Giles said.

"Yeah, you know me." And for once there wasn't a hint of a joke, Xander was being totally serious, and that in it's self made Giles decide to not press the issue any further. "Send my love to the girls for me." Xander said.

"I will." Giles said. Knowing that it could be a long time, if ever, before he'd hear from the boy again. "And good luck."

"Thanks, Giles." Xander said, using Giles's name for once. "See ya around, man." Xander said and with that the line went dead. Giles sat down heavily after he replaced the receiver. A small tear escaped his eye, for the young man he'd come to respect over the short time of knowing him and would be proud to call a son in another time.

End

* * *

**There it is the last chapter of this story. I already have a sequel in mind though.**

**Cookie to anyone that can guess what Xander's ability is. :)**

**Please review! Sequel may come sooner if you do. ;)**


	6. Non Chapter

Just to say that the sequel is now up.

**The Blood of Toy Soldiers. **

Check it out.

And please review it!

Thanks

SSG


End file.
